re: Can Saints Talk issue a proclamation of I told you so on bunkley? (Posted on 10/12/12 at 7:45 pm to TigerBait1127)

This thread is full of fail. Bunkley has done pretty well against the run. Hicks as well. Ellis and Smith have been negative, though. Jordan has been one of the best in the league. Our problem rests in our LBs.

quote:The Saints’ strengths in run defense come on the right edge, where Cameron Jordan (+8.9 run defense) has made a whopping 17 stops, second to only JJ Watt’s 18 among all defensive linemen. Brodrick Bunkley (+5.7 run defense), playing mostly at DRT, has been stout as usual, but he’s seen his snaps decrease every week as the Saints have looked to improve their interior pass rush. However, his replacement, rookie Akiem Hicks, has been solid and end Will Smith has looked better against the run than we’ve seen in recent years.

Most of the Saints’ problems in run defense occur at the second level, where David Hawthorne and Jonathan Casillas have been nursing injuries and Curtis Lofton has fallen off after a strong first two weeks. With 24 of their 29 missed tackles coming from the back seven, the group needs to improve on limiting yards after contact. Despite only Jared Gaither and Jeromey Clary grading positively in run blocking on the line, look for Norv Turner to maintain at least some balance in his play calling in an effort to keep Brees on the sideline.

re: Can Saints Talk issue a proclamation of I told you so on bunkley? (Posted on 10/12/12 at 8:54 pm to bbrownso)

quote:The Saints’ strengths in run defense come on the right edge, where Cameron Jordan (+8.9 run defense) has made a whopping 17 stops, second to only JJ Watt’s 18 among all defensive linemen. Brodrick Bunkley (+5.7 run defense), playing mostly at DRT, has been stout as usual, but he’s seen his snaps decrease every week as the Saints have looked to improve their interior pass rush. However, his replacement, rookie Akiem Hicks, has been solid and end Will Smith has looked better against the run than we’ve seen in recent years. Most of the Saints’ problems in run defense occur at the second level, where David Hawthorne and Jonathan Casillas have been nursing injuries and Curtis Lofton has fallen off after a strong first two weeks. With 24 of their 29 missed tackles coming from the back seven, the group needs to improve on limiting yards after contact. Despite only Jared Gaither and Jeromey Clary grading positively in run blocking on the line, look for Norv Turner to maintain at least some balance in his play calling in an effort to keep Brees on the sideline.

So tackles was once a terrible indicator of run D effectiveness, but now it's not.